Forever
by bookworm1945
Summary: Prompted by the "Marco is alive and a titan" theory, platonic JeanMarco fluff/angst. The Fox and the Hound had some influence in the writing of this, so beware. No spoilers for manga, but some for anime. [NO SLASH]


**I wrote this after I watched The Fox and the Hound. You have been warned.**

* * *

_"Ooh, what's this, does Marco have a girlfriend back home?" Jean yelled, laughing as he kept the stolen photo just out of his friend's desperate reach. The two sat on their neighboring bunks, largely ignored in the crowded dorm, the male recruits creating a raucous din as they relaxed from the day's training._

_"Give it back, Jean!" Marco cried, face flushed as he tried to snatch the photo back from Jean. Jean dodged yet again, causing Marco to fall face-first on the hard mattress. Jean laughed even harder, tears of mirth starting to form as Marco sat up and glared at him, freckled nose red and pained tears pricking at his eyes. Abruptly, he lunged for the other boy, managing to tackle him in an attempt to retrieve the precious picture. The two grappled for a minute, almost evenly-matched. Spectators started to gather, and it was hard to tell who would win. _

_First, Marco had the upper hand, but Jean slithered out of his grasp, so Marco used his torso to pin down Jean's arm, and... The match lasted awhile. Finally, the onlookers started to trail off, losing interest as the fight concluded. Marco was seated on Jean's chest, picture held firmly in his right hand. "Ha!" the black-haired boy crowed triumphantly, though both boys' shirts were soaked through with sweat and they could barely breathe._

_Jean grinned back at him, too exhausted to laugh. "So who is she?" he asked when he got his breath back. Marco looked fondly at the picture, saying only, "My little sister." The way he said it made Jean think pressing further would be a mistake, so he let out a long breath. Then he spoke again, this time annoyance coloring his voice. "Hey, get off, will you? It's hard enough to breathe without your butt weighing me down."_

_Marco laughed a little, falling to the side in exhaustion. His weight was off of Jean, but his legs were still propped up on the other boy's chest, so that together they formed a cross. They lay for awhile, resting. The picture of Marco's late sister had brought Jean's mind back to the reality of their situation, and he lay quietly, thinking. All that could be heard was the din made by the other recruits, but after some time, Jean broke the silence._

_"Hey Marco. No matter what, we'll always be friends, forever. Won't we?"_

_It was obvious to Marco what Jean was thinking about. He turned his head, meeting Jean's eyes and smiling as he affirmed, "Yeah. Forever."_

* * *

Jean screamed in fury as Marco, his best friend, ever-so-gently picked him up. The relief and joy Jean had felt at seeing his best friend alive had been quickly crushed by the horror and disbelief that arose when Marco transformed into a titan and started killing his comrades_. Just like Annie_, he though dully.

Marco carefully plucked Jean's 3DMG gear from his waist, blades and all falling to the ground as Marco placed Jean in one of the higher branches of one of the tall trees of the Titan Forest. _"MARCO!"_ Jean screamed as the human-titan turned away to face the remaining members of Jean's team. One by one, Jean watched as his best friend murdered his fellow soldiers. "NO!" he bellowed, helpless as his friends were cut down. He stared, numb, rage and grief smothered by the irrational belief that _this cannot be real._

Marco killed the last remaining soldier. He turned back to face Jean, but the titan inspired no fear in him. Jean held Marco's eyes for a moment, and saw sadness in the titan's eyes, despite the expressionless face. In silence, Marco turned away.

_"Hey Marco. No matter what, we'll be always be friends, forever. Won't we?"_

Marco strode through the forest, leaving Jean behind, unharmed, on the branch. A droplet of salty water streaked down the titan's cheek.

_"Yeah. Forever."_


End file.
